Saturday, July 30, 2011
Meek's Cutoff
A very haunting and handsome movie. Not for everyone. In my estimation, well worth the price of admittance as I feel I've taken a trip back in time and returned unscathed from the Oregon Trail circa 1845 to attest to the eternal bravery, physical courage, goodness, cruelty, and chaos unleashed by man upon man.
Post mortem deconstruction of the movie by the Lassie, Lad, and Babs... a wisp of a butterfly discussion flitting on the iceberg of archetypes, foreshadowing, symbolism, cinematic technique, and respective conclusions gleaned from what is likely to become a masterpiece of film making.
Several items for discussion...
1. Did you notice that only the despised and bombastic Meek had a Southern accent? Year 1845.
2. Verisimilitude. Paucity of songs and music. From my readings of history, I find it hard to believe a beloved and humble harmonica, fiddle, or guitar would not have accompanied these transcontinental pioneers. Andecdotally, I have found that amongst a random conflagration of 8 individuals, at least one possesses a good voice and/or musical talent, which would literally serve to deliver the people out of the desert, if not boost flagging morale? Unless they were so beaten down to be beyond the redemptive/restorative power of music?
3. Why the duplication of effort and caloric expenditure by separate morning and nighttime campfires?
Talk amongst yourselves and get back to me.
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2. While I wouldn't mind being left in a dessert, others might. Now if they left me in a desert, that would be another story... :P
ReplyDelete3. Um, wouldn't someone have to keep stoking the campfire if it was to burn from morning until it was next needed at night? People did like their coffee in the morning, even in 1845. :D
2. There was just no singing. They were 5 weeks lost in the dessert, so perhaps they were beyond song
ReplyDelete3. Good point on the campfire, since they were keeping a round the clock watch for murderous Indians. The 3 separate fires were allowed to die at night, only to be relit in the morning. However, there was a good deal of effort in collecting the wood, so that commodity might need to been spared. Also, wouldn't the cooking and coffee making have been a communal effort?
P.S. I notice that the director, Kelly Reichardt, likes to use some of the same actors -- sort of like a troupe. I've seen "Wendy and Lucy" with Michelle Williams and Will Patton (both are in Meek's Cutoff) and it's bleak, too, but worth catching.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, did the little Scottish actress, Shirley Henderson (the name kills me -- my mother's doppelganger), use an American accent in this?
2. Babs, you had them lost in a dessert (as in something sweet and delicious) as opposed to a desert! For shame!
ReplyDelete2. Mea Culpa Claire. I need a good editor. There twan't no dessert out where these pilgrims were. Maybe a flambe Meek?
ReplyDeleteShirley Henderson rocked a slight Irish brougue and referred to the comfy lot of her father's pigs compared to these hapless lost humans, at which point the ladies started laughing in good sport. Pigs in the parlor is a recurring theme for us Irish, shanty and lace curtain alike.
Cool about Shirley. Because she's so small physically, she can get away with playing the parts of much younger characters. Her natural accent is a pretty thick Scottish one but I've heard her do English and a not-bad American one, too.
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